Dismissed¶26

Kamal Mandal v. the State of Jharkhand

Jharkhand HC16 Feb 2026B.A./9886/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Regular bail application B.A. No.9886 of 2025 rejected/dismissed — High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi — Justice Sanjay Prasad — 16.02.2026 — petitioner Kamal Mandal — custody since 10.07.2025 — GRP/Ranchi P.S. Case No.22/2025 — Sections 123, 305(C) of BNS — drugging of train passenger with intoxicating lassi — theft of Rs.8000/- — Train No.12836 / Hatia railway station / Jamtara-Madhupur — T.I. Parade identification by informant — criminal antecedents — confession in case diary paragraph 19 — impugned order of Judicial Commissioner, Ranchi — delay in FIR — trial court directed to conclude trial expeditiously.

What did the court decide?

From perusal of the records, the Court found that the petitioner had given intoxicating substance in lassi to the Informant for committing theft. ¶18

Kamal Mandal Vs the State of Jharkhand — Jharkhand HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Dismissed

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Issue for consideration

Whether regular bail should be granted to the petitioner, who is in custody since 10.07.2025 in GRP/Ranchi P.S. Case No.22/2025 (offences under Sections 123, 305(C) of BNS).

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Court's answer

From perusal of the records, the Court found that the petitioner had given intoxicating substance in lassi to the Informant for committing theft.

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Ratio / Principle

Per the impugned order of the Judicial Commissioner, Ranchi, the petitioner was identified by the Informant in T.I. Parade.

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Key takeaways

Per the impugned order of the Judicial Commissioner, Ranchi, the petitioner is having criminal antecedent.ratio¶20
The petitioner has himself confessed about his guilt and complicity in the occurrence in paragraph 19 of the case diary.ratio¶21
On the above findings, the Court was not inclined to grant bail to the petitioner.ratio

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bail Application No.9886 of 2025, High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi (Justice Sanjay Prasad), order dated 16.02.2026 — DISMISSED; prayer for regular bail REJECTED. Petitioner Kamal Mandal, in custody since 10.07.2025, charged under Sections 123, 305(C) of BNS in GRP/Ranchi P.S. Case No.22/2025, arising from an FIR of 29.05.2025 alleging that a train passenger (informant Mukesh, travelling on Train No.12836) was administered intoxicating substance in lassi and robbed of cash of Rs.8000/- and articles between Jamtara and Madhupur. Counsel argued innocence, delay in lodging FIR and lack of evidence beyond confession; the APP opposed, citing the alleged intoxicating-gang modus operandi, identification in T.I. Parade and criminal antecedents. The Court found: petitioner had drugged the informant with lassi for theft; was identified by him in T.I. Parade (per impugned Judicial Commissioner, Ranchi order); has criminal antecedents; and had confessed guilt in paragraph 19 of the case diary. Bail was accordingly denied, the application dismissed, and the Trial Court directed to conclude the trial expeditiously.

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2026:JHHC:4837

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI B.A. No.9886 of 2025

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….

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Kamal Mandal, aged about 38 years, son of Sri Tukal Mandal, resident of Village Dewalbari, P.O. and P.S.- Dewalbari, DistrictJamtara, Jharkhand

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……Petitioner

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Versus The State of Jharkhand ……Opp. Party

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-----

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY PRASAD

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----- For the Petitioner : Mr. Arvind Kr. Choudhary, Advocate For the State : Mr. Rajneesh Vardhan, A.P.P

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…… Order No.03/16^th February 2026

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The present Bail Application has been filed on behalf of the petitioner for grant of regular bail, who is in custody since 10.07.2025 in connection with GRP/Ranchi P.S. Case No.22/2025 instituted for the offences under Sections 123, 305(C) of BNS.

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As per the FIR based on fardbeyan of Mukesh recorded by S.I. Shiv Ram of Rail Police Jhajha on 29.05.2025 that the Informant was working as a welder in Banglore, Karntaka and on 27.05.2025 at 08.50 hours, he boarded Train No.12836, coach no.S-2, birth no.53 and reached Hatia Railway Station on 28.05.2025 at 20.00 hours where one person approached him to ask whereabouts of the Informant then while going to Jasidih the Informant consumed lassi given by that said person, he slept and when he woke-up, he found himself between Jamtara and Madhupur and found that his one bag was missing containing cash of Rs.8000/-. ATM Card, MI Mobile with Airtel Sim.

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Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is innocent and has not committed any offence. It is submitted that the petitioner has been falsely implicated by the

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2026:JHHC:4837

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police. It is submitted that there is delay in lodging the FIR without any explanation. It is submitted that apart from confessional statement of the petitioner nothing suspicion raised against the petitioner, there is no evidence to show his complicity in the present case. It is submitted that the petitioner is in custody since 10.07.2025 and hence he may be enlarged on bail.

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On the other hand, learned APP has opposed the prayer of bail of the petitioner. It is submitted that the allegation against the petitioner of his involvement in intoxicating gang, administered poisonous substance to passengers travelling in trains for the purpose for committing theft of their belongings. It is submitted that the petitioner was identified in T.I. Parade by the Informant. It is further submitted that the case diary also discloses that the petitioner is a person with having criminal antecedents and hence the prayer of bail of the petitioner may be rejected.

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Having heard learned counsel for both the sides and from perusal of the records of this case, it appears that the petitioner had given intoxicating substance in lassi to the Informant for committing theft.

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It appears from the impugned order passed by the learned Judicial Commissioner, Ranchi that the petitioner was identified by the Informant in T.I. Parade.

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